THE ROYAL SOCIETY,
BURLINGTON HOUSE, LONDON. W.
March 10th /[18]77
Private[?] My dear Capt[ain] Feilden*1 1) I understand from the Treasury that Mr Hart has accepted the terms proposed. I suppose that he may not think it obligatory to begin till he receives the "further instructions" alluded to in the Treasury letter to him & to you.
2) The said "instructions" will be based on certain recommendations of the Royal Society -- as that the Naturalists are advised to consult with its officers & those of Brit. Museum -- & so forth, which will give the R. S. some sort of authority as to

your cooperation with Hart. The Royal Society's letter to Treasury is drafted & a draft sent to the Treasury but it cannot be acted upon until it has the Councils approval, on Friday Thursday next I hope.
3) In that letter it is suggested that £100 should be granted to allow illustrations to be made. & a small sum for packing specimens &c.
4) As to remuneration of the collaboratives[?] -- I quite supposed that these would give [1 word crossed out, illeg.] their services gratuitously. If those we have chosen indicated will not, I fancy we can find others who will; for I cannot think

the collections are of sufficient extent novelty or importance as to require any [4 words crossed out, illeg.] payment of the sort. I should have been proud to have been asked to contribute my share.
5) It will naturally be expected that you will do a great deal more than [1 word illeg.] Birds & supply of notes on the Geology. Most Naturalists in your position would wholly undertake themselves several branches, getting the names from the Museum officers. Two of you will be employed, & & if you can do but little yourselves, you must yourselves provide assistance to yourselves.
6) Your position is wholly different

as are your collections, from those of the Challenger Naturalists. They were not mere collectors, but accomplished Naturalists, who made prodigious collections during 3 1/2 years, methodically examining microscopically, drawing themselves & dissecting all through the voyage & bringing & sending home whole ship's loads of collections (700 cases) illustrative of biological chemical & physical conditions of the Ocean at all depths & in all latitudes! Your collections will rank well with others made in high latitudes -- the publication of which however did not cost the Government a penny; & whose naturalists had to pay on board or on shore afterwards. Yours & [1 word crossed out, illeg.] Harts

are quite different cases from the Challengers & you are now looked to to justify, not merely your employment after your return, but the expenditure of sending you out on an Expedition for which Naturalists volunteering to go for nothing were not wanting.
7) You will have the staff of the British Museum, Kew, & the [1 word illeg.] Mus[eum] at your service, all of them good officers, & there is nothing they should could not do with you except the fossil plants, & perhaps the Diatoms though you will be allowed to ask the aid of other experts if you like for these & the other matters too.

8) Let me remind you, in the spirit of true friendship, that the expedition is widely regarded as a failure & waste of money: & if it appears that the two paid Naturalists (the first ever paid on an Arctic Expedition) cannot bring out their one year's collections from the "limits of life" without paid aid, there will be most disagreeable comments made on the Royal Society's choice of Naturalists by the R. S.; & on the Naturalists themselves. The world still looks to the scientific results of the Expedition for the salvation of it's credit; & this is very much in your hands.

It is 4 months since you returned, & questions are constantly asked about the Nat. Hist. of the voyage. 9) I quite agree with you that it is not fair to the specialists such [1 word crossed out, illeg.] as [1 word illeg.] to send him only part of the collection; but this was your own doing entirely. You must not blame the Treasury or Hart for that. 10) As to publication of the results, -- if the helpers do not choose to trust to the Govt under the R.S. advice, I would, were I you, have none of their services. We have had [1 word crossed out, illeg.] almost the

whole of the Challenger Cryptogamic Botany; & all the Botany Geology & Zoology of the Naturalist's collections who went to Kerguelen's Land & [1 word illeg.] with the [1 word illeg.] Expedition, worked out for [1 word illeg.] by & without a question as to where they were to be published by any of a dozen collaboratives: and [1 word crossed out, illeg.] the 4 Naturalists who were sent to these places &c (who had not half your & Hart's pay for their voyage & services) have not asked or had a shilling for their subsequent services, as authors editors or compilers, & their collections are a hundred fold greater than yours & the results will

cost £1000 to print. They are proud of their work, & their collaboratives were proud to help them gratuitously. Let me beg of you without delay to take the bull by the horns -- your catalogue of the Mammals & Birds should not not take you many days. & Harts collections cannot add much to these. [1 word illeg.] will do your fish. Your shells will be easily named, & your Crustacean aid is a Brit. Mus. [1 word illeg.] officer, bound to help you. [1 word illeg.] will do the [1 word illeg.] gratuitously &

[2 words crossed out, illeg.] [1 word illeg.] I hope the [1 word illeg.]. [1 word illeg.] the [1 word illeg.] gratuitously, & [1 word illeg.] the [1 word illeg.] -- what remains is a bagatelle. Therefore my dear Fellow go ahead: -- As soon as I get the [1 word illeg.] I will see to Hart -- you have plenty to do before that, & again I say remember that you have still to justify the [1 word crossed out, illeg.] R.S. choice of you, & to rehabilitate the Expedition. E[ve]r [1 word illeg.] y[our]s | J. D. Hooker[signature] I shall be at R. S. between 2 & 3 on Thursday I shall be engaged at 3. Endnotes 1. Henry Wemyss Feilden was a naturalist and imperial soldier who fought in several conflicts for the British army. He focused his scientific work largely on the Arctic and areas north of Europe, joining several explorations.